Over 40 Palestinians Killed as Battle Between Israel, Hamas Rages On

Since Tuesday, Israel's offensive on Gaza has killed 41 Palestinians, including eight children. And the operation, aimed at stopping Hamas' recent barrage of rocket attacks, shows no sign of letting up. The New York Timesreports that Israel is calling up as many as 40,000 reservists to "free them for a possible ground invasion of Gaza."

At this point, a ceasefire seems unlikely. Hamas has continued to launch rocket attacks at Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Israeli forces say they hit 160 targets in Gaza last night, including rocket launching sites, tunnels, and Hamas facilities. Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon said Wednesday, "The operation against Hamas will expand in the coming days, and the price the organization will pay will be very high."

The Associated Press notes that warnings from Israeli forces to Palestinian civilians have, in some cases, been ineffective. On Wednesday, "airstrikes killed one militant in south Gaza, an 80-year-old woman, the son, wife, and neighbor of a Hamas militant, and three others whose affiliation was not immediately known."